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Oregon Democrats are poised to make a clean sweep of statewide races, pledging to maintain a united front against former President Donald Trump as he grows increasingly likely to reclaim the White House.
After the first tally of votes tonight, it appears that State Treasurer Tobias Read is on a path to be Oregon’s next secretary of state. State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner (D-Portland) will likely succeed Read as treasurer, and former House Speaker Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis), while facing a much better financed opponent than the others, is on his way to becoming the next attorney general.
In the secretary of state’s race, Read faced state Sen. Dennis Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls). An election denier at the far right of his caucus, Linthicum struggled to raise money or build a statewide campaign. In early results, Read leads Linthicum 55% to 43%, with Natalie Paravicini of the Pacific Green and Progressive parties pulling nearly 3%.
Sen. Brian Boquist (R-Dallas), who ran against Steiner, also ran a limited campaign. Both he and Linthicum are among the senators whose 10 or more unexcused absences in the 2023 legislative session precluded them from seeking reelection. In the early going, Steiner led Boquist 50% to 44%, with Mary King of the Working Families and Pacific Green parties tallying nearly 6%.
Rayfield’s GOP opponent, former prosecutor Will Lathrop, attracted strong support, raising nearly $2 million for his campaign. (Rayfield raised nearly $2.5 million.) But as it has done so often, the registration advantage Democrats hold over Republicans—currently about 10 percentage points—appears to be enough to give Rayfield a commanding lead, 54% to 46% with about 43% of votes counted.
At the downtown Hilton, where the Democratic Party of Oregon held a victory party, Gov. Tina Kotek was introduced to a room half paying attention. A couple of older men sternly circled the ballroom’s edge, clinking spoons to glassware and sternly staring down anyone glued to their conversations and screens. Kotek thanked volunteers for their efforts, but had to pause and shush the back of the room like a fed-up teacher.
In her remarks, which ended minutes after polls closed, Kotek encouraged guests to “keep the faith.”
“I want you to know as your governor, I see you, I hear you, I stand with you and I will have your back,” Kotek said. “I want you to know that no matter what happens in D.C., no matter who sits in the Oval Office, our commitment in Oregon will not waver. Our state sill remain a stronghold of equality, opportunity and justice for everyone who calls Oregon home.”
Echoing Kotek to urge patience, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum thanked DPO guests for her last party in office. (Disclosure: Rosenblum is married to the co-owner of WW’s parent company.) She lauded Rayfield as her successor, while noting that no official announcement had been made. She also offered condolences for any defeated Democrats.
“If you or your candidate come up short, please don’t give up,” Rosenblum said. “Losing is great preparation for winning next time.”
One by one, Democrats put on their game faces. Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty introduced Tobias Read as both her friend and Oregon’s new secretary of state. He urged patience in the coming days, which felt like an increasingly tough sell.
“Oregon is best when everyone participates in our democracy. How do we feel about that?” Read said to lukewarm applause.